Once more! Once more! Encore! That is the only response possible when we hear the unbelievably melodious Madan Mohan songs. This master of mood music, be it the soul-searing "aaj socha to ansu bhar aaye" or the jolly-n-naughty " zaroorat hai", has to his credit songs that enrich our aural abilities.
Like a comet that dazzles the firmament was his brief career of hardly twenty five years, and the post-humous "Veer Zara". The star dust, however, continues to glow and enchant even in his centenary year, and across generations. Honestly, his intensely lyrical songs granted a soul to the silver screen.
Adored alike by the greats such as Naushad, Begum Akhtar, Lata Mangeshkar, and the ordinary Hindi film music buffs, he added to the three-minutes long film music the gravitas of a classical mehfil. Extremely difficult to sing or to play on the musical instrument, his songs, melody incarnate, are manna to ears.
The loveliest words of great poets such as Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, Kaifi Azmi, Rajinder Kishan, Sahir Ludhiyanwi and Majruh Sultanpuri, them he encased in such sweetest sur's sung by the softest and gentlest voices of the likes of Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi and Talat Mehmood that the charm continues to enchant to a forever encore.
Simply superb hence it is to watch-n-listen to a tribute by his adoring son, Sanjeev Kohli. Titled "Dil Dhoondta Hai", it is indeed a wondrous audio-visual treat. I attended its Pune version for the second time yesterday. Ever anew it appeared, entitled to countless encores.
Sanjeevji deserves the utmost gratitude of every Madan Mohan fan for the priceless visuals he shares. Divided into two parts, first we get to hear a medley of hundred Madan Mohan songs that include his entire range, ghazals to Kishore Kumar yodelling most musically.
In the most touchingly endearing second part, Sanjeevji introduces us to the man behind the musical genius who could compose a great mukhada/antara literally in a jiffy. What is most remarkable about the programme is that there is absolutely no hagiography despite the reverence. With gentle humour, Sanjeevji opens up the life of a passionate artist and a genuine and principled human being, who never, except for the National Award for "Dastak", got in his lifetime the recognition he richly deserved.
The programme is, moreover, a throwback to an era of music making wherein reigned supreme dedication to the art. Such, such were the times wherein there was healthy competition amongst the very many talented masters of music who would even collaborate creatively.
The programme, moreover, describes the long journey of the fulfilment of the adolescent dream Sanjeevji cherished to grant his father's unfulfilled wish for the celebration typically associated with the film world, be it a well-known camp, a great run of the film, et al. The "Veer Zara" songs sound sweeter once we get to know such intimate inputs.
A dedicated work of research whereby Sanjeevji continues to add a few more tidbits of informative details in each edition of the DDH, especially in the 'Madan Mohan influence' segment, the programme literally makes us forget time which flies away on the wings of melody.
Sanjeevji's fabulous presentation is ably supported by the non-obtrusive but effective compering by Rajeshree Gokhale. Indeed, Mitra Foundation wins our thousand encores for a beautiful and sensitive tribute to the Madan Mohan music for which any number of once more's are too less!
Pratima@ Wo dastan jo kabhi na bhulayi jayegi/jo phir yad ayegi eternally once more!
Pratima Agnihotri is a devoted Madan Mohan fan from Pune.
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